Overview & Reviews

Lexus has earned a well-deserved reputation for turning out utterly refined luxury vehicles. The hallmarks of this brand are a quiet, well-crafted cabin, a plush ride and commendable performance from powerful, nearly silent engines.

Lexus began out of a desire by parent company Toyota to create a world-class luxury car brand. Groundwork for Lexus was laid in the mid-1980s, when the company began tapping U.S. focus groups in an attempt to define design concepts best suited for American consumers. Hundreds of prototypes were built and tested on Germany's autobahn and on U.S. roads.

In early 1989, the company unveiled its first two models (which would debut for the 1990 model year) -- the entry-level ES 250 sedan and the flagship LS 400 sedan. The LS 400 was lauded by both journalists and consumers alike for offering a stellar luxury-car experience, with a remarkably silent cabin, superb build quality and a refined V8 engine. At the same time, the LS was priced considerably lower than smaller, lesser-equipped, six-cylinder European rival luxury sedans.

By the early 1990s, the Lexus brand was expanded to other markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. More models were added to the lineup, including the SC 300 and SC 400 coupes and the brand's first luxury performance sedan, the GS 300. By decade's end, the company had added SUVs (in the form of the LX 450/LX 470 and RX 300) and had sold more than a million vehicles in the U.S.

The first decade of the 2000s saw Lexus proving itself a trend setter with the launch of many hybrid-powered versions of its vehicles such as the RX 400h and the GS 450h. And by 2011, Lexus even introduced a world-class supercar, the LFA.

In the years since its inception, the Lexus brand has distinguished itself time and again in quality and reliability surveys. The brand's vehicles may not offer as much passion as some Teutonic rivals, but for drivers interested in vehicles that emphasize quality, dependability and comfort, the Lexus marque is hard to beat.

User Reviews:

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  Wow what a car!!! - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By Jeff Meyer - July 5 - 10:00 am

  The IS300 is fun to drive with great handling and braking. The engine needs a little more pep to it but overall well worth ever penny.

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  SuPeR DuPeR - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By LexusLover - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I love the RX 300. Just bought a 2001 model last year. Feels great. Rides wonderfully. Love the car. You should buy one too!

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  Great car but - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By CarMan - July 4 - 3:36 pm

  I love the car and especially the electronic key system. However, I would likely not purchase another Lexus unless two things are changed. First, to lock the doors, you simply push the button on the door, which is easy to forget if youre in a hurry. The doors need to lock automatically after 30 sec-2 min., determined by the customer. Its far too easy to leave the car unlocked. Second problem is the very inadequate GPS. I have a $200 Garmin GPS for use in rental cars when I travel. It speaks street names for turns and gives traffic info (features found in various brands for years). The Lexus GPS has neither of these or other advanced features. Lexus needs to fix these problems.

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  a must - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By tyrese - July 4 - 2:00 am

  a must for high rollers. the car has a smooth ride and it is better than the bmw radster(I know because I own a new one)

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  JUST BOUGHT A 2002, 2001 INCREDIBLE!! - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By COMMACK4 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  JUST ORDERED A 2002 AFTER DRIVING MY WIFES 2001

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  400h not suitable for winter with ice - 2007 Lexus RX 400H
  By Laurence and Theresa - July 3 - 2:00 am

  The 400h was the first hybrid we owned and we paid a premium at the time. We would not buy a hybrid again. We live in Canada and travel every weekend to snowy conditions. The hybrid is underpowered on the rear axle since it is powered by an electric motor. In situations where the front wheels have low traction and the rear has to take the load it does not perform. We have several friends in British Columbia who Twill not take this vehicle up a driveways if there is snow and ice. Bottom line this is not a 4 wheel. It is an all wheel with insufficient torque in the rear drive train for winter conditions due to a lack of power design in the rear electric drive train. T

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  JFs review - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By jahenry2004 - June 30 - 2:10 pm

  The car is fun to drive. Smooth, yet powerful. You cant feel the trans shift up or down. The cabin is quiet, and the sounf system is impressive with the speakers placed juast right. The top folds quickly and queitly into the trunk. Road noise is not a problem when talking with the top down. One drawback is that the runflat tires are somewhat noisy. Occasionally you can feel the pull from one side to the other.

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  Beautiful car and comfortable - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By sunny le - June 29 - 3:20 pm

  Its a beautiful car and very comfortable to drive. It equipped with everything with quality built-in you can not get from other car manufacturers. Ive just had it for one month and average gas mileage is around 22 mpg. You can get the power when you needed. I think the gas mileage is pretty good for a V-6 (AWD).

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  Lexus is 300: Great Sports Sedan - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By eraser33 - June 29 - 7:26 am

  Ive owned my is300 for about one year, and I have to say I continue to be impressed with both the cars performance ability and its quality. This is a terrific handling car with very good grip and steeribilty thru the tightest of corners;its powerful and smooth inline 6(same engine as newer Supra) is a joy both for its great performance and every day driving characteristics.

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  Fun to drive - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By joe - June 28 - 10:26 am

  This sports coupe is so much fun to drive. From the minute I get behind the wheel my heart starts to race. This SC is a real winner, whether on the highway or just driving local. If youre looking for a convertible this is it.